Cotton-picker mechanism



Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED siTaTEs 1,558,718- PATENT N OFFICE.

LOUIS CARROLL STUKENBORG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIfJ-hTOIt, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO 'STUKENBORG CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A COR.-

IPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Appueation mea september 4, 1920. serial No. 408,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis CARROLL STUKENBORG, a citizen of the United States,`

and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Picker Mechanism; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cotton picker mechanism embracing a suitable casing having brush means by which to withdraw the cotton from the plant,fsuc tion means for drawing the cotton rearwardly from the head or casing, and an intermediate take-off` device within the head to dislodge-cotton fiber which would otherwise tend to adhere thereto.

The present invention relates more particularly to the construction of the takeoff device, and its mounting.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the elements herein described and shown in the drawings, and is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a) partial inner elevation and a partial section of a cotton picker head embodying my invention'.

Figure 2 is a section on thelline 2-2 of Figure 1.

Among the objects of the invention is to simplify and improve the take-OE device for removing the cotton from the brushes Y and to avoid the winding of cotton about the take-off bearings, and vfurther objects of the invention Aare to improve, and simplify mechanisms of this character, and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawing and described in th-e specification, and is pointed out in the appended claims.

The pickerhead or casingembraces in general terms two similar shell parts 10 and 11 which, when fitted together, constitute a hollow casing that is formed at one end with an intake mouth 11', and at its other end with an out-let or exhaust portion-12 which, as herein shown, is made an integral part of the shell member 10. The ont-let portion connected to a nexble tube 13 which is adapted for connection at its other end to an exhaust fan to produce a draft of air through the head. The said head may be provided with a hand piece 14 to manually direct the head to the cotton fiber at the plant.

Rotatively mounted across the mouth is a pair of brushes each comprising a wood or other liber core 15, an encircling shell 16 anda plurality of outstandingv bristle tufts 17, said bristle tufts interacting so that the" rotation of the brushes inthe direction indicated by the arrows 4in Figurel draws the cotton between the brushes and through suitably located guards shown in Figures 1 and 2. i

The shafts 18 of the brushes extend through and fit non-,rotativelv in the brush cores 15, and they are formed at their outer i ends with cylindric portions 19 which ex-V tend beyond the cores, and said cylindric portions of the shafts are supported in roller bearings 2() which are seated in inwardly opening sockets of lugs21 that may be made integral with and extend inwardly from opposing walls of the casing; the terminals of the shafts being herein shown as extended through the bases'of said lugs on said side walls. The shells 16 which encircle the core of the brush extend endwise beyond the core, as before stated, and substantially from one side wall to the other side wall of the casing to constitute cylindric extension guards 25 which are disposed concentricallly about and in loven' lapping relation to the lugsQi'l 'to avoid cotton nding its way into the bearings of the brush. The brush shafts extend beyond one side of the casing and have attached thereto meshing spur gears 26, 26` through which the brushes are rotated in a manner hereinafter to be described.

In rear of the brushes in a chamber 28 is mounted a take-oit' device designated as a whole by 30. Said take-offdevice is of cylindric formation and is provided on its periphery with a series of outstanding teeth-31, 32,

i the latter being two ends of a pin 33, which Said shaft 34 constitutes a driving pin i for the takeoff device and is located concen-I trically in the take-oli device. It extends outwardly beyond one of the walls 10 andI carries a spur gear 36 that meshes with an idler 37 which, inturn, meshes with one of the brush gears 26, wherebyth'e take-off device and brush gears are rotated fromv the same source of power which consists, in this instance, of a detachably connected flexible shaft 38. i

The shaft 34 of the take-oli?-devicel is mounted in anti-friction bearings 40, which are seated in inwardly opening, sockets of bearing blocks Vil that are provided withv outer polygonally squared ends 42 to fity within like shaped openings in the walls 22 of the casing so as-to be non-rotatively held therein.

The said shell 30 is made of such length as to extend substantially from one' wall 22 to the-other'like wall, and the ends 4S ofsaid shell constitute guards which prevent the entwining of cotton about the bearings ofthel tfa'ke-oirl device. So far as the latter feature ofthe invention is ,concerned-,f towitzfthle extension beyond the bearings of' the take-oiil device-.annular collars or shells, the takeoff device in itself may be made of other constructiomy c c e.

'The driving gears for the various parts ofthe machine are enclosed by a gear casing 4:7 which is detachably fixed to the adjacent wallftQ, 'of the casing i'n any' pre` ferred or suitable manner.4 y

The twol parts or halves' of the casing are fastened together when fitted with their edges abutting byl screws engaging threaded' lugs 48, and when the parts ofthe she-'ll are disassembled and parted, the brushes and takeoff device' may be readily withdrawn from their bearings for inspection and repairs, and the shell-s orparts of the casing may be with' equal `facility fitted and se.- cured` with their bearings assembled'.`

Iny order that the greater part of the air owing through the head may not create a suction through the mouth such as wouldr tend to carry parts ofbu-rs, leaves, and the' like into the head with the. cotton,y the case may be provided a-t and in rear of the takes' off.l device with air inlets 50 and 51, thel latter in the elbow of thecasing, so asftocause al substantial portion of the' air to' pass overv the rear. portion of the take-ofl'vyfdevice and remove the cottonetherefrom. l ViThi-le fixed teeth are employed/movable eccentric teeth may be employed to morecertainly' clear they cotton' from the take-off device.

I claim as my invention:

1. `A cotton pickerfhead comprising a casing'having a mouth format-ion and a pneumatic/outlet, pickerfmeans'at the mouth and a rotative taker-ofi shell inf the casing in rear of the picker means and having external, relatively fixed, formation-s to remove cotton from the picker means and terminat-V ing at its ends closely adjacent to opposing casing walls and bearings carried by said casing walls for the take-off device, said take-off'l device having endwise hollow ex tensions to axially overlap said bearings,

2. A cotton picker head comprising acasing having a mouth' formation and a pneumaticy outlet, picker means at the mouth, aA tubular take-0H device in the casing inF rear of the picker means and having relatively fixed external formations to remove the cotton from the picker means, a dri-ving sha-ft extending through and? fixed to the shell 'of said take-on device, and bearings ca'rried 'by opposing casing walls in which said' shaft is rotativelyl mounted, the said casing. walls and take-on?- device having overlapping partsv to prevent admission of cotton sta-ple to said'bea'rings.

3i In apicker head1 for cottonpicking machines, acasing having a mouth formation, with picker means thereat, and provided with anoutlet,` a take-oft'- device between said picker means and outlet, embracing a hollow cylinder extending between andI terminating closely adjacent to opposite walls of the casL ingand having peripheral cotton removing mean-s, bearing members removably fixed to the casing wallsand extending. into and ra cli-ally spaced from the ends of said cylinder,y

a shaft extend-ing through andfixedtov said hollow cylinder and rotativelyj mounted in saidbearing member, and' means to rotate saidfshaft.l e v 4. In a picker head for cotton pick-ing machines, a casing having a mouth formation, with picker means t-hereat, and provided with an Aoutlet, a take-off device between said picker means and outlet,- embracing an open ended hollow cylinder extending between and terminating at itsends closely adjacent to opposite` wal-ls ofthe' casing andhaving peripheral cotton removing means, bearing members carried by saidcasing walls and extending into the ends of' and radially spaced from said cylinder, ,andi a shaft extending through saidtakeoff device and fixed therefto and. rotatively mounted in vsaid bearing members and` provided exterior to the casing with a detachable drivingshaft.

5. In apicker head. for cotton picking machines, a casing having a mouthl formatiolnfywithpicker means thereat, and., providjedwith an outlet, a take-off device between said picker means-and outlet, embracing a cylinder extending between and terminati-ng at its ends closely adjacent Vto opposite walls of the casing andl having. peripheral cotton removing means, bearing members fixed tothe casing walls and extending int-o and radially spaced from the ends ofsaidv cylinder, a sha-ft extending through said take-'off device and fixed thereto and rota'- tively mounted in said bearing members and provided exterior to the casing with a gear wheel, and gear Wheels on the picker means7 one connected to and directly driven by the gear Wheel on said driving shaft.

6. In a picker head for cotton picking machines, the combination with a easing having at one end a mouth, and picker means thereat, of a takeoff device, embracing a cylinder having peripheral cotton removing means, bearing blocks removably fixed in opposing Casing Walls and extend- 10 ing' Within the open ends of the shell, and ay as my invention, I hereunto append my sig- 15 nature this eleventh day of August, 1920.

LOUIS CARROLL STUKENBORG. 

